Not only has Amber Heard reportedly been fired from WB’s Aquaman 2, but the actress may have also been declared ‘uninsurable,’ according to a report by Cosmic Book News.
The publication says that Heard was laid off to avoid collateral damage from her ongoing legal battle with her former spouse, Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp. That legal battle has seen many twists and turns, the most recent of which haven’t exactly played out in the actress’ favor. Last month, for instance, it appeared she would be facing jail time for allegedly faking injuries to obtain a restraining order against her ex.
Cosmic Book News states that WB has bought out Heard’s contract which, considering that the A-list actress is thought to have a net worth of around $9 million dollars, is no small undertaking. That’s not to say the decision was particularly difficult to make though, as the story goes on to mention that, among showbiz executives, Amber Heard is now being regarded as ‘uninsurable.’
In ordinary language, a film star is considered ‘uninsurable’ when their public image could have unpredictably devastating effects on both the movie’s production and its distribution. In the past, Robert Downey Jr. carried around this label when he was working through his drug addiction.
Uninsurability does not have to be permanent, though. RDJ got sober and ended up landing one of the most iconic (and lucrative) roles in the history of cinema as MCU poster boy Tony Stark. That said, the current media landscape and cultural climate evidently make it easier for talent to bounce back from drug abuse than sex-centered legal scuffles. And for every Iron Man who manages to get back in the game, there are dozens of #MeToo subjects whose faces will likely never be seen on screen again.
